This Paleo Lemon Butter Chicken is easy to make, is full of fresh flavors, and is so delicious! Gluten free, dairy free, and Whole30.
Ok, so this is technically Lemon Ghee Chicken, but butter just sounds better. These thighs are coated in a scrumptious sauce that consists of ghee, coconut cream, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and fresh rosemary. It is poured all over the thighs then they are baked making it a seriously easy meal! Thighs are probably my favorite piece of chicken to use because they're affordable, juicy, and easy to eat.
I actually was inspired for this meal by another blogger. Damn Delicious posed a similar version and when I saw it I knew I wanted to make it paleo. It was easy to do- swapping the butter for ghee, cream for coconut cream, leaving out the parmesan, and I replaced the thyme with rosemary. It's one of out favorites and just works perfect in this dish. The results were amazing!!
This meal comes together quick, and while it does bake for a little while, it's all hands off. You can easily be preparing a side dish or doing whatever else you need to do. This has turned into one of my husbands favorite meals already. He told me he wants to drink the sauce because it's so good! Ok, I actually saw him tip his plate up to get every last drop.
You will love how easy and affordable this meal is. A delicious, healthy dinner that everyone will enjoy! Another delicious Whole30 recipe to add to your menu.
*Images updates August 2019 and low FODMAP instructions added to the notes.
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Paleo Lemon Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, bone-in skin-on
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons ghee**
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° and place the chicken thighs skin side down in a 13x9 pan.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt then flip over so the skin side is up. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine lemon zest and juice, ghee, coconut cream, garlic powder, salt, and rosemary.
- Stir over medium heat until everything is well combined.
- Pour the mixture over the thighs and bake for 40-45 minutes or until they reach 165°.
- If you want the skin crispy, turn up the oven to 500° and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Notes:
Nutrition Information
Karla says
What if you don't have gee. What can you use instead?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Karla- if you tolerate butter then I would suggest some grass-fed butter. If not, any fat would work, coconut oil, lard, etc. The taste will be slightly different though. Hope that helps!
Mandy says
I have chicken drumsticks on hand and want to sub those in for the thighs the recipe calls for. Any suggestions on cooking time for drumsticks? Thanks! Can't wait to try this sauce tonight.
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Mandy- the time would stay the same since they're bone in just like the thighs. I hope you love them!
Mandy says
This recipe was a home run tonight! It could not have turned out more perfectly. I turned the broiler on my drumsticks at the end to crisp up the skins. And my husband loved it, which is a big win because he is picky in general, but especially about chicken dishes! 🙂 Thank you so much! I'll be making this the next time I host a dinner gathering.
Jessica DeMay says
Awesome! I'm so glad to hear that, Mandy! You're welcome- thanks for trying the recipe and for the great feedback 🙂
Nuria says
Do you think this would be tasty if made with boneless, skinless chicken breast? And if so, how long would you cook it for?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Nuria- yes, that would work great. I would say cook it for 20-25 minutes, depending on how big the breast is. I hope you enjoy!
Jackie Tavenner says
Will this work with coconut milk if there is not enough time to make the cream?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Jackie- yes, that should work fine. I hope you enjoy!
Amber says
I just made this! I used boneless, skinless thighs. I'm in my first week of Whole30 and I am not experienced at cooking. This was so easy and absolutely DELICIOUS! Rosemary can be a bit overpowering for me sometimes, so I used thyme instead which I loooooved. Thanks for sharing this Jessica!
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome, Amber! Thanks for trying it! I've made this with thyme as well and love it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Good luck on your Whole30. 🙂
Erika says
Good call on the thyme! I also hate Rosemary and thyme has the slight lemon-y notes that works so well in this. Loved it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jessica DeMay says
Yes! So good with thyme! Hope you enjoy!
Agitha says
Ghee is made from milk, milk is dairy, how is this dairy-free?
Jessica DeMay says
When ghee is made, all the milk solids are removed- therefore it is not considered dairy at all. That is why it is considered paleo and Whole30. I hope that answers your question.
Camille says
Thanks for the recipe, it was delicious !
Perhaps this can interest you : http://thedairydish.com/is-ghee-dairy-free/
And are you sure Ghee and salt are paleo ?
You could call it "Almost-peleo-almost-diary-free-lemon-butter-chicken"
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Camille. Interesting article, but if get your ghee from a good company that batch tests to make sure there is no dairy, then it is in fact dairy free. My husband can't tolerate dairy, but does fine with ghee. Maybe read this-http://paleomagazine.com/is-ghee-paleo
And yes, salt is paleo. I always use Real Salt that isn't processed and has important minerals that your body needs. So no I won't call it that, I will leave the name how it is. Paleo, dairy free lemon butter chicken!!
Camille says
Thanks for replying Jessica 🙂
You're right, this diet has many interpretations. E.g. Paleomagazine and Wikipedia contributors have a different view for salt.
Your husband probably can't tolerate lactose (like me!) but he does fine with lactose-free dairy. When you artificially remove the "milk solid" from it (the solid fat, which contain lactose), it remain the milk liquid fat which is very healthy! Ghee is a great product, even if it's dairy and therefore non-paleo...
Thanks again for your concern.
jef says
what is coconut cream?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Jef, coconut cream is thick coconut milk. You can buy it at Trader Joes, or take a can of full fat coconut milk and put it in the fridge for a couple hours and the cream on top is the coconut cream. I have a picture of it in this post: http://www.jaysbakingmecrazy.com/2015/06/19/must-have-pantry-items-for-a-whole30/
I hope that helps- let me know if you have any other questions.
Tabitha says
I made this tonight for dinner and loved it! I modified it just a bit with chicken breasts and made it on the stove and added chicken stock. I was too hungry to wait for it to cook in the oven, and I only had chicken breasts. Thanks for this yummy recipe!
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome, Tabitha! Thanks for trying it- I'm so glad you like it.
Lisa says
Will this work with boneless, skinless thighs? Sounds amazing!
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Lisa! Yes, definitely! Just reduce the time. I would say 20-25 minutes probably. I hope you enjoy it!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Your photos are killing me today Jessica! I wish I had that chicken on a plate right in front of me!! Sounds delicious!!
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks so much Mary Ann!!